Betty la Fea: The Story Continues

The appeal of the original Yo Soy Betty La Fea was that as over the top as it was, it hit on some real points -- women helping other women, and sometimes not helping other women, look obsessed societies, the rise of a middle class in Columbia, can men change, etc. A snapshot of where Betty and Armando stood 25 years later could have been great. However what we see makes no sense. When the series ended and was then followed by Eco Moda, the Valecias were gone. Marcela and Patricia walked off in a huff. I can't remember if there was a big explanation, but one wasn't needed. But the new series imagines Marcela still working at Eco Moda, and Patsy too, and everybody else frozen in time and the same styles. It's nonsensical and cartoonish like Bart and Lisa Simpson always in the same grades. Marcella spending 25 years pining over Armando and not married with kids of her own? Unlikely! There could have been a real plot to this: A story about Betty in menopause and Armando back up to his old deceptions. A couple running a business together whil their prersonal partnership is falling apart. Something funny but serious, and real and not ridiculous and just based on classic quirks of characters like Patsy's tossing her hair or Guitierez mangling English. A missed opportunity.

Absolutely disgusting what they did to every character. This is nothing but banking on nostalgia. The story makes absolutely no sense, and makes it seem like the love Armando and Betty had never happened. The show glorifies vulgar behavior and is anti marriage/love. Its very try hard to be hip using hashtags, and pushes a lot of current themes. They even had Sandra not be into men anymore which is totally contrary to who she was. This is pretty much Betty la Fea if it was made by a feminist who does not like men. Every single guy on the show is feminized and they talk down masculinity like its a bad thing. Absolutely sad to see this train wreck.

If I were to give a rating based on the cinematography, backdrops, the colors and the set, I would have given this series a solid 9. Where it goes downhill is the lack of a believable storyline: characters stayed stagnant in their careers for almost 25 years, Betty regressing to her original outward appearance, and having raised a spoiled brat (Juanita Molina) whom Betty the Story Continues could've done way better without, and Patricia Fernandez still financially insolvent after being married to an elderly millionaire, but this time she's infatuated with Nicolas Mora, whom she didn't like in the original series. Armando Mendoza is a shell of his former self, compared with his original strong-willed, business tycoon character. The creator of the original Yo Soy Betty, La Fea (Fernando Gaitan) passed away, and so did the magic and humor that he gave his characters and the storyline that the world enjoyed.

For those who have watched Betty the original, this new version will be horrible. Here the why... The writers make it believe us that in 25 years, none of the characters had a life, I mean, Nicolas, he didn't get married, he didn't get rich being such a talented economist. Freedy and Calderon, the same, it seems like all the characters were frozen in time and that doesn't make sense. Armando Mendoza,I think this character is the most complex and interesting of the entire series, but he has been reduced to a stupid and clown, Gaitan managed to make this character go through an ordeal and with it a transcendental change before marrying Betty, but now Armando is useless, without personality, only used to cause conflict the same conflict in his company as 25 years ago. It seems the new propaganda is...man needs to be stupid enough to deconstruct him. Shame. Betty remains as insecure as before and more victimized than ever. And her diary, which still exists after 25 years, is proof of what I talks about, she doesn't forgives, she doesn't forget. Ca(mila) ,Armando and Betty's daughter, an unbearable character. Nobody learned anything from the past, nobody really evolves. This series only appeals to nostalgia to survive.